"In a booming market there's always a high possibility of fraud by a green-shoe brigade," Dr Bergin and Mr Allen said.

Investigations into carbon markets overseas highlight some of the possible avenues for deception.

But climate crime need not be complex, high-tech or even lucrative.

"Exceptionally hot days and exceptionally low rainfall days are expected to increase in frequency.

"We may, therefore, see increases in a range of water thefts: individuals stealing water, the use of fraudulent water trucks to steal public water for private gain, more incidences of siphoning from river systems for irrigation and illegal damming of rivers.

"If water becomes increasingly precious, the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their water assets, including violence, will increase."

Climate change could also make more vulnerable sections of the community even more vulnerable with the less well off already relocating into drought-affected towns.

"Some communities risk being caught in a vicious cycle of poor economic prospects and associated social ills, including increased crime against both persons and property," they said in the report.

Educating Australian communities about the role of law enforcement in event of future climate disasters would be an important step towards improving Australian resilience to the impact of climate change, Dr Bergin and Mr Allen said.

"And while we may not see the early introduction of climate change squads in Australian police forces, there will be an increasing requirement for Australian law-enforcement agencies to consider how they will need to adapt to the challenges posed by the severity and impact of climate change."